"Meet the author" is a double-edged sword, but sometimes it can be great. I enjoyed meeting Michael Morpurgo, for instance (he was also very kind to my eldest son, who was with me). He lives nearby, but we met him when the War Horse stage production came to the Plymouth Theatre Royal. We went on the opening night, and he was there, greeting customers in the lobby. A great experience (and the play is simply astonishing).